Ref ID : 4342
Richard A. Snyder and David C. Brownlee; Nolaclusilis bicornis N. G., N. Sp. (Tintinnina: Tintinnidiidae): A Tintinnine Ciliate with Novel Lorica and Cell Morphology from the Chesapeake Bay Estuary. J.Protozool. 38(6):583-589, 1991
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A small tintinnine ciliate found in the plankton of oligohaline and mesohaline reaches of the Chesapeake Bay esturaty is described from live observations and protargol silver stained specimens. The lorica morphology and cytology of this ciliate are unique among described genera. Nolaclusilis bicornis n. g., n. sp., has a hyaline, thin and flexible bell-shaped lorica that collapses flat as the cell contacts into the lorica base. The axis of lorica collapse is alinged with two densely staining "horn" structures that extend from opposite sides of the preoral ring. The somatic ciliation pattern of N. bicornis consists of kinetics extending to the left (Ln) and right (Rn) of a ventral kinety (R1) with most of the dorsal surface barren of kinetosomes. The ventral kinety extends to the right and anterior to R2 and R3. The anteriormost kinetids of each kinety, except the ventral kinety, R2 and R3, are dikinetids with elongated cilia. The remaining somatic kinetids are monokinetids, including all of the ventral kinety, R2 and R3. Fourteen oral membranelles are found on the peristomial lip and extend into the infundibulum. On the traditional basis of lorica morphology, and the uniqueness of the horn structures, this new organism has no close relatives among described forms. However, the pattern of infraciliature as revealed by protargol staining has similarities to the patterns found in members of the family Tintinnidiidae, which is characterized by little specialization of the kinetids except K2 (=R2) and K3 (=R3), low kinetal density index, prostomially oriented oral membranelles, and internal stomatogenesis.